


counting stars

by Zei_Legato



Category: Nijisanji
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Friendship, Romance, god idk, my fingers just moved, they remind me of the night for some reason
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:41:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27558517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zei_Legato/pseuds/Zei_Legato
Summary: “Do you know how many stars there are in the sky, Taya?”
Relationships: Inui Toko/Lize Helesta
Kudos: 11





	counting stars

**Author's Note:**

> hey i wrote this corny oneshot last night so i could ignore my anxiety. enjoy my braincells going brrrrr

“Do you know how many stars there are in the sky, Taya?”

Toko stops in her tracks, the wind carrying Lize’s voice to her in the silence of the night without fail. They’re on their way back from a long day of work and have just dropped Ange off at her apartment a few blocks ago. Lize’s residence isn’t too far away, but the princess has requested them to take a small detour to a nearby park where they can see the stars clearly thanks to the lack of light.

“Hm?” Toko looks at Lize, watching the way she gazes up at the stars.

“I’ve always wanted to know. People say there are millions, billions, or maybe even more. But that’s only what people say,” Lize mutters, reaching out to the one of the chains on a swing, “I want to know how many there are to be exact.”

For as long as she’s lived, Toko never really minded much about the stars. They’re beautiful, and at certain occasions they do inspire her. But that’s all they've ever been; little things to look at when she’s spacing out. Never things to keep count of, never things to be overly curious of.

“Have you ever tried counting them?” Lize meets her gaze, smile reaching her violet eyes.

“No. Not at all. I never paid attention to how many there are up there.” Toko shrugs, returning Lize’s smile as she approaches the swing.

“Huh… well, I was wondering if something would happen if we managed to count them all, you know?” Toko raises an eyebrow at the idea. Lize clears her throat before continuing, “Like getting our wish granted or something.”

“Ize, they’re not paper cranes.” Toko chuckles. Being around humans have accustomed her to mentions of miracles to the point where she too would like to believe. “Besides you won’t even know if you’ve accidentally counted the same star more than once, will you?”

“Exactly! And that’s all the more reason why I feel like there should be something rewarding for us by the time we’ve finished counting correctly!” Lize’s enthusiasm is sort of infectious, as proven by the growing smile on Toko’s lips. “… Don’t you think so?”

“Makes sense, actually.” Toko decides to humor her. “By the way, did you ask me because I’ve been alive for so long?”

“Of course,” Lize nods, “You’d have been a super reliable source. But that’s okay. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to start counting now.”

Keeping count of things for too long isn’t Toko’s forte. She’s already given up on counting her own age a long time ago, why keep count of something else? It’s not entirely impossible, she knows that, but even if she manages to count the very last star on the sky, there won’t be anybody to tell that to. Or at least, nobody this charming will be there.

“I guess I can’t tell you how many there are in the sky,” Toko mumbles, tilting her head to the side to get a good view of Lize’s curious eyes staring up at the sky. “I can tell you something you wouldn’t ever find out on your own, though.”

“Twent—what?” Lize’s gaze immediately breaks off from the sky to focus on the Cerberus, “Seriously? What is it?”

“… Fifty two.” Toko mumbles, lips curving up in a grin at the utterly confused look on Lize’s face.

“… What?” Lize’s frown deepens when Toko breaks out into a giggle.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Toko teases her, poking Lize’s forehead gently.

“… Ahh, I get it,” Lize squints at the playful glint in Toko’s eyes, “That’s how many there are on the sky right now, right? You’re saying I wouldn’t be able to count them on my own, right?”

“Nope.” Toko shakes her head, smiling softly when Lize’s expression shifts, “That’s how many there are in your eyes every time you look up.”

Everything falls silent. There are a myriad of unsaid words reflected on Lize’s expression at the moment, and Toko has no idea how to decipher them. All she does is just watch as Lize’s shoulders droop and a beautiful shade of red begins to paint Lize’s cheeks. It may have given away too much of her personal feelings, but Toko’s decided to go with it. She’s no stranger to honesty.

The silence was only there for a moment, though, because Lize’s sharp intake of breath alone is enough to break it. The blush is still evident and Toko knows that it takes all of Lize’s willpower just to look back at her. With a loud clap (a little too loud for Toko’s liking, actually) of her hands, Lize only manages to say one thing, “… Oh.”

“Yes. Anyway, I do think it’s best to start as early as possible, but I feel like it’d be better if you do it some other time when we we’re not working until late.” Toko gestures for them to continue on their way home, trying to bury the topic now that the air’s somewhat awkward between them.

As Toko tries to walk away, she stops yet again when her sleeve catches onto something. Her sleeves are long and wide, so it’s not rare for them to be randomly caught on something. To her surprise, however, she looks back to see that the thing that’s caught her sleeve is Lize’s hand. Lize seems smaller with the sheepish way she’s acting—so small that Toko feels as if she shouldn’t move too suddenly or Lize might fall over. The grip on her sleeve isn’t rough, no, in fact it’s so delicate that it almost looks like Lize’s merely brushing her fingers on the fabric.

“Ize?” Toko mumbles, voice barely above a whisper.

“… The reward…” Lize starts, clearing her throat before she continues, “… Th-there’s a reward for you.”

Before Toko even manages to say something in response, Lize’s already tugged her sleeve hard enough to cause her to stumble forward. It all happens in a swift motion, how Lize cups her cheeks and brings her face down. What manages to last for more than a couple seconds is the kiss planted on her cheek, almost close enough to brush the corner of her lips. Even when Lize lets go, she doesn’t let go as fast—she takes her time to lean back with her gaze set on Toko, eyes full of some emotion Toko doesn’t dare to say out loud.

She doesn’t, just in case it’s simply her wishful thinking trying to take over.

…

Though perhaps it’s already too late to deny, because she definitely feels her cheeks heating up at the sight.

“I… see…” Toko swallows the lump in her throat, “… Is this a one-time thing?”

_This is a stupid question._

Lize blinks rapidly, seemingly processing Toko’s question in her head for a few moments before shifting her gaze all over the place as she answers, “Oh, uh… hm, well… n-no?”

_… Maybe it’s not so stupid._

“Okay. I’ll count every time then,” _for as long as you’re still here_ , “I don’t mind.”

“ _This_ is what motivates you, Toko-taya?” Lize squeaks out, staring at the grinning Cerberus in disbelief.

“No such thing as free labor, aha~” Toko shrugs as she takes Lize’s hand in hers (it’s still just as warm as the time it made contact with her cheek) to finally drag the princess back home. She can hear Lize grumbling about the whole thing not being a labor work and all. Most of it flies over Toko’s head, however, because all she can think of is the way Lize tightens her grip on their joined hands, and the way Lize catches up to walk by her side.

What motivates her to go along with this whole counting stars thing isn’t really the kiss. She does, however, consider it a nice bonus. That, with another addition of knowing that there’s a spark within Lize’s heart that burns just as bright as her own.

But all that is not it.

It’s that if she knows that Lize will be there to smile at her every time she finishes counting, then it’ll be worth every second of her life.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading huhhuhghghghghghgh


End file.
